1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of playground slides, and particularly to the interconnection for adjacent slide sections whereby the sliding surfaces are accurately aligned in end-to-end relationship while adjacent sections include overlapping portions interconnected by fasteners to achieve maximum strength.
2. Description of the Related Art
Playground slides, whether formed of metal or synthetic plastic, often consist of several elongated sections interconnected at their ends. The forming of the slide in sections simplifies shipping, and permits various configurations to be introduced into the slide if it is desired that the occupant pass through turns or curves during descent.
Forming the playground slide of a plurality of interconnected sections requires an interconnection between adjacent sections, and the simplest interconnection is to overlap the sliding surfaces of adjacent sections, the upper section overlapping the lower section, and fasteners such as rivets, bolts or screws may extend through the section overlapped portions having heads which are flush, or substantially flush, with the upper sliding surface. Such an interconnection between the slide sections is simple and strong, but produces a slight bump as the sections overlap, and expose the slider to possible injury if a fastener loosens and extends above the sliding surface.
In order to alleviate the aforementioned problems of overlapping slide section interconnections, a variety of proposals have been advanced to maintain the adjacent sliding surfaces in alignment thereby avoiding the bump at the section joint, and by forming each slide section end with a flange perpendicularly disposed to the sliding surface, fasteners may extend through the flanges to maintain the slide sections in alignment and end-to-end relationship. This arrangement has the advantage of removing the fasteners from possibly injuring the slider, but the fasteners are exposed to possible vandalism, and the appearance of the slide is adversely affected by the rather large flanges extending from the slide sections.
Previously, a playground slide interconnection for use with either metal or synthetic slide sections has not been available whereby the sections may be maintained in an abutting end-to-end sliding surface aligned relationship, the fasteners being protected from vandalism, and the interconnection being of such a configuration as to be aesthetically superior and not detract from the overall slide appearance.
Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the invention to provide an interconnection for playground slide sections wherein the sections' sliding surfaces will attractively abut in aligned end-to-end relationship and wherein the fasteners maintaining the interconnection are substantially concealed and not readily accessible to vandals.
Another object of the invention is to provide an interconnection for playground slide sections wherein the sections' sliding surfaces will be maintained in aligned end-to-end abutting relationships but the strength of an overlapped relationship between adjacent slide sections using fasteners is provided.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an interconnection for playground slides wherein the sections' sliding surfaces are maintained in an aligned abutting end-to-end relationship eliminating bumps and the alignment of interconnected sections is achieved by nesting alignment and fastener receiving surfaces overlapping with respect to each other.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an interconnection for playground slide sections wherein the ends of the sections are maintained in aligned end-to-end relationship and the alignment is quickly achieved during assembly by the use of overlapped nesting alignment and fastener receiving portions through which threaded fasteners extend, and the fasteners are enclosed within slide section structure as to not be readily susceptible to vandalism.
Summary of the Invention
While the inventive concepts may be used with playground slide sections either formed of metal or molded of a synthetic plastic material, the inventive concepts are particularly suitable for use with molded synthetic slide sections, and are described in such an embodiment in the following specification.
The interconnection of the invention is utilized in a playground slide having at least two sections. Playground slides may include a plurality of sections depending upon their length and configuration. The sections may be linear in a straight slide, or may be curved wherein the slider will change direction during the slide. It is also common to form the slide as a spiral wherein the slider will be translated through 1800, or more, during the descent. The concepts of the invention may be employed with any configuration of playground slide section, it only being necessary that the adjacent slide section interconnected thereto has a corresponding interconnection configuration to permit the interconnection of adjacent sections.
The playground slide interconnection includes a male end or configuration which constitutes a projection from the end of the associated slide section. The innermost portion of the projection is defined by a sliding surface which may include both the bottom surface of the slide and the side surfaces, all of which are exposed to the slide occupant. The projection ends in a terminating abutment surface perpendicularly disposed to the adjacent sliding surfaces, and the terminating abutment surface extends outwardly away from the sliding surfaces to intersect with an alignment and fastener receiving surface extending rearwardly from the terminating abutment surface and spaced from the projection slide surface. In this manner, the projection is a hollow box-like configuration and the alignment and fastener receiving surface terminates in a shoulder intersecting the outermost portion of the associated slide section. Preferably, the projection alignment and fastener receiving surface includes a V-shaped channel and threaded inserts are molded into the V-shaped channel for receiving threaded fasteners as later described.
The playground slide section male end projection is received within a playground slide female end which constitutes a recess of a configuration complementary to the configuration of the slide section male projection. Accordingly, the slide section female end includes a shoulder adapted to engage the male section shoulder, an alignment and fastener receiving surface, preferably of a V-shaped channel configuration complementary to the alignment and fastener receiving portion of the projection, and a shoulder abutment surface extends from the recess alignment and fastener receiving surfaces in a manner perpendicular to the sliding surfaces of the associated slide section. Accordingly, the terminating abutment surface of the projection will abuttingly engage the shoulder abutting surface of the recess and the dimension of these abutting surfaces perpendicular to the slider engaging surfaces is such that the sections' sliding engaging surfaces will be in alignment and no bump will exist at the joint line between the interconnected slide sections.
Because the alignment and fastener receiving surfaces of the projection and recess closely nest together in an overlapped relationship with respect to the length of the slide sections, the slide sections will be accurately aligned with respect to each other, and threaded fasteners extending through the recess alignment and fastener receiving surfaces received within the threaded inserts molded into the projection will maintain the interconnection of the slide sections upon tightening of the fasteners.
The outermost surface of the slide section ends defining the recess are provided with holes for receiving the threaded fasteners, and upon tightening of the fasteners, the heads thereof will be located within the hollow box-like configuration of the section material defining the recess and not readily visible to potential vandals. Also, by utilizing unusual sockets or fastener head configurations, unauthorized removal of the fasteners is discouraged.
As the projection on the male end of the playground slide section and the recess defined on the end of the female slide projection overlap, the advantages of the high strength of an overlapping interconnection are achieved, but because of the hollow box-like configuration of the projection and recess, the fasteners do not extend through the sliding surfaces and cannot become a hazard to sliders even though the fasteners may inadvertently loosen.